At home with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart

Sheriff focused on protecting Cook County families - and loving his own

Rick A. Richards

10/21/09 3:25 PM

It's Saturday at Tom and Patricia Dart's house. It's quiet
outside on this tree-lined street in Chicago's Beverly
neighborhood, but inside it's loud, chaotic and every bit a typical
family, albeit one with five young children.

Photo Slideshow

Tom Dart, 47, the Cook County sheriff, former state legislator
and rising star of the Democratic Party, seems unaffected by the
whirl of activity around him.

Internet prostitution crackdown after seeing young girls being
victimized by the cycles of oppression in prostitution and human
trafficking.

Jail administration reform by
making small policy changes to eliminate overcrowding, making
living conditions more humane and the jail a much safer place. Also
is beginning video visitation, which allows families to "visit"
loved ones via closed circuit TV in a much cleaner and less
traumatic environment than exposing small children to the glass
windows and ear pieces of the normal jail visiting rooms.

As children scamper about - including 2-year-old Alyson, who is
shirtless ("I spilled," she tells a visitor) - Dart quietly goes
about wiping down the kitchen island, cleaning up stray puddles of
soup and bits of crackers from the children's lunch.

It's precisely this bustle that led Dart to decline an
opportunity to run for U.S. senator. The lure of a powerful
national office wasn't enough for him to spend time away from his
family.

"It would be an incredible juggling operation," says Dart. "I
would say that 99.9 percent of the reason I didn't run for U.S.
Senate is my family. Money wasn't going to be a question, but in
the end, being in Washington for one day, let alone five days a
week, simply wasn't going to happen."

Dart says promises that he could come home each weekend rang
hollow. "You're fooling yourself if you think you can come home and
relax," he says. "You're going to be busy with events you have to
attend. I wouldn't be able to spend any time with my family even if
I was home."

They are the center of his and Patricia's lives. While they try to
share responsibilities, both admit it's not a 50-50 split; most of
it is Patricia's responsibility.

Still, Dart tries to arrange his schedule so he can be home each
evening to help with supper, baths and bedtime. He also tries to
take the older children to school, and get to soccer and gymnastics
events.

The Darts are Catholic and firmly believe family is a priority. As
she sits with her husband at the kitchen table, Patricia admits
she's glad her husband didn't run. "I wanted to be supportive of
him, but it would get ugly (if he ran). It would require a huge
demand on us. He's a hero for the moment."

That honesty is prevalent throughout their conversation. Although
12 years younger than Dart, Patricia is an equal partner in the
relationship.

"I'm a stay-at-home mom. It's what I signed up for," she
says.

With five children, Patricia runs a highly regimented household,
but says it has to be in order to get anything accomplished.

"Homework has to be done right away, dinner is done by 6 p.m.,
baths are done by 7 and everyone is in bed by 8 p.m.," she says.
"So if homework doesn't get done when it's supposed to, that means
the kids are up later and it can get stressful."

There are occasions when Dart will miss an evening, but he makes
sure to call. One recent instance was when the mess at Burr Oak
Cemetery broke.

But just because the household routine is scheduled to the minute,
no one should think there isn't time for fun.

As Dart wipes down the island, he and Patricia rummage around and
find a container of homemade chocolate chip cookies that are put
out on the kitchen counter. Like magic, the kids appear and help
themselves.

Alyson, now with a clean shirt, wanders through the kitchen and
into the adjoining family room, followed by Thomas, who's bouncing
a ball. He bounces it to Dart, who looks at it and bounces it
back.

In the doorway, Molly looks forlornly into the kitchen, holding an
American Girl doll.

"It's her birthday," says Dart. He walks over to Molly, kneels
down and explains to her that once the guests are gone, the rest of
the day will be hers and she can open the rest of her
presents.

As he and Patricia sit at the kitchen table talking, Dart
reminisces a bit. "My wife and I used to tutor kids in the
neighborhood and we felt like we were making a difference."

Now, with five kids of their own, they can't do that anymore. But,
Dart says, the need to help others is what led him to public
office. In the legislature, he wrote Illinois' Sexually Violent
Predators Commitment Act helping thousands of children, but Dart
hated the political process.

"I was fighting my own party," he says. "I was told I could only
introduce three bills a session and those had to be
pre-approved."

It angered Dart, so he left to run for state treasurer. He lost
and shortly thereafter moved to the sheriff's department, where, he
says, he was in a position to help lots more people.

For instance, in October 2008, in response to the mortgage
crisis, he announced his deputies would no longer conduct evictions
until more safeguards were put in place to protect tenants.

It was a controversial decision. "Some people think I've exceeded
the role of sheriff," says Dart. "I happen to think I've barely
scratched the surface."

Dart views his role as father the same way. He heads to work
between 5 and 6 a.m. so he can leave early to spend the evening
with his family.

"I have to really plan well," says Dart. "By starting earlier in
the day, I can leave the office by 4 p.m. and still put in an
11-hour day."

Dart stops talking as Thomas wanders by and hands him a
transformer. "Look at this one," Thomas says.

Dart looks closely at it. "It looks like a crab."

Thomas grins, grabs the Transformer and heads back to his
room.

"I live for these kids. I don't golf, I don't bowl, I don't go to
happy hour. Scheduling events on the weekend is verboten. Maybe
four or five times a year we'll go to a parade I have to be in, but
we take the whole family and make a fun day of it."

Patricia says that while it is frustrating at times, she also
loves spending time with her kids. "I'm so happy I can sit back and
laugh with them. When we spend time together, I want them to get to
know each other and talk with each other."

As the Dart children get antsy and want some attention, Dart
wanders into the family room and the children (all but 3-month-old
Shannon) follow.

Dart sits on the rug in the middle of the room while Thomas, Molly
and Lauren jockey for spots on the L-shaped couch. Alyson makes a
beeline for her dad. He scoops her up and while playing with her,
Lauren starts crying.

Everything stops. Dart spies a guilty looking Thomas. When it
finally comes out that Lauren had gotten pinched, Dart makes it
clear that Thomas needs to sincerely apologize-or else. What the
"or else" is isn't clear to guests, but Thomas understands.

He apologizes and play time resumes. Suddenly, it's a wrestling
match on the floor and the group is joined by baby Shannon, who is
up from her nap. Dart cradles the girl in his arms while the other
children swarm about.